Travel to Assateague Island and experience the Chincoteague ponies and Assateague horses as never before, in this photographic journey by award-winning and respected equine photographer Jayne M. Silberman. The 136 gallery-quality photographs show-cased in this photo documentary book, shot during the author’s many visits over a two-year period, intimately portray the lives and habitat of the herds through the four seasons.

In the Herd takes you far beyond the aspect of herd life known best to the world, the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim. With the cooperation of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and the National Park Service – two groups deeply involved in the lives and future of the Assateague herds – Silberman has enjoyed unique access to areas not previously seen. In these remote and beautiful places, she was able to capture the animals in unguarded and astonishing moments.

If you are lucky enough to have been one of the 40,000 visitors each July who experience the Pony Swim and Foal Auction, this coffee table book will take you there again, reminding you of a cherished time. But it will also offer you new perspectives on the lives and activities of the wild inhabitants of Assateague.

Images of stallions protecting their mares, foals learning about daily life, group beach naps on summer days, an egret catching a ride on the back of a horse, and much more bring you to the heart of the herd. Each of these captured moments illuminates the horses’ interrelationships and their timeless sense of survival.

An informative essay by the photographer provides a perfect accompaniment to the images, offering insight into every aspect of herd life. This is a volume you will want to return to again and again – and you are sure to discover new details and pleasures each time you open its cover.

Over two years, several roundups, and countless trips to Assateague on her own or with me as guide, Jayne has done what she said she would do. In this man’s opinion, she has produced the best pictorial/informative book that has ever been done about the world-famous wild horses and ponies.” — Roe “Duc-Man” Terry, Public Relations Officer, C.V.F.C.

“More than a marvelous compilation of photos, Jayne Silberman’s book is a celebration of freedom in its dazzling simplicity. She has created a collection of magical moments, from quiet grandeur to sweet humor to flashes of power. With a talent for understatement and a keen eye, Jayne has captured the essence of the wild horses and ponies of Assateague Island.” — Lendon Gray, coach, instructor and two-time Olympian

“Jayne Silberman’s book is fresh, authentic, beautifully photographed and written, and thoroughly informative. This is the work of a sensitive and extremely observant photographer who is uncommonly ‘tuned in’ to the ways of these horses. Here is documentary photography of the highest order.”— Barbara Van Cleve, photographer